Chimney Cleanings & Chimney Inspections in Des Moines, IA
Schedule your professional chimney cleaning today for a safer, warmer home.
Have you noticed smoke backing up into your home when using your fireplace or stove? Is there a strong, burnt or musty odor coming from your chimney, especially during warmer months? Have you experienced poor draft, difficulty starting fires, or excessive soot buildup inside your appliance? Have you heard unusual animal sounds or noticed reduced performance from your wood, gas, or pellet system? When was the last time your chimney was professionally inspected or cleaned? If it’s been more than a year, buildup or hidden damage may already be affecting safety and efficiency.
Chimney & Fireplace Cleaning Services
Every fall when the weather starts cooling down across Des Moines, Urbandale, and West Des Moines, homeowners start getting their fireplaces ready for winter. One of the most common questions we hear is, “Do I need my chimney cleaned before I use it again?”
After months of burning wood during an Iowa winter, chimneys collect soot and creosote inside the flue. That buildup can restrict airflow and increase the risk of a chimney fire. A professional chimney cleaning removes that buildup so your fireplace drafts properly and burns safely.
Many homes around Beaverdale, Ankeny, and Johnston also use different types heating appliances. In addition to chimney sweeping and fireplace cleaning, we clean systems like wood stoves, where soot and creosote can build up inside the stovepipe and flue. We also service pellet stoves, removing ash buildup and cleaning the venting system so the stove runs efficiently.
For homes with gas fireplaces, we clean the burner area, glass, and venting components to keep the fireplace operating safely. We also provide fireplace insert cleaning, clearing ash, soot, and debris from the insert and the liner that runs through the chimney.
Keeping these appliances clean helps them run more efficiently and prevents smoke or odor problems inside the home.
Most homeowners schedule a cleaning before the heating season begins, especially if the fireplace was used regularly the previous winter. Regular maintenance helps keep your chimney system safe and ready for another long Iowa winter.
Chimney Inspection Services
A lot of homeowners call us right before the first fire of the season and ask, “Can someone check if my chimney is safe to use?” We also get calls during home sales around Waukee, Clive, and Pleasant Hill when buyers want to know the condition of the fireplace before closing.
Our chimney inspection services help answer those questions. A standard chimney inspection checks for creosote buildup, damaged flue liners, and other safety issues. When we need a closer look inside the chimney, we perform a chimney video inspection using a camera that travels through the flue. We also provide fireplace inspections to check the firebox, damper, and the overall condition of the fireplace system.
Older brick homes in neighborhoods like Beaverdale often have masonry chimneys that benefit from routine inspections, especially after years of heavy winter use.
Chimney Draft & Performance Troubleshooting
During the coldest parts of winter, we often get calls from homeowners across Des Moines and surrounding towns like Altoona and Norwalk saying, “Every time I light my fireplace, smoke comes into the living room.”
A fireplace should pull smoke up the chimney, not push it back inside the house. Our smoky fireplace troubleshooting service helps find the cause of these problems. Poor draft can happen when the chimney is too cold, when airflow in the home is restricted, or when there is buildup inside the flue.
We inspect the chimney and fireplace system to figure out why the fireplace is smoking and explain the steps needed to restore proper draft so the fireplace works safely and comfortably.
Chimney Odor Diagnostics & Solutions
When the snow melts and Iowa humidity starts rising in the spring and summer, many homeowners begin noticing a strong smell coming from the fireplace. We hear this question a lot from homeowners around Urbandale, Johnston, and West Des Moines: “Why does my chimney smell like smoke?”
That smell usually comes from creosote inside the chimney mixing with warm, humid air. Our chimney odor investigation looks at common causes like creosote buildup, moisture inside the chimney, or poor ventilation.
After we find the source of the problem, we provide chimney odor removal solutions that help stop the smell and keep it from coming back.
Chimney Obstruction Removal
Each spring we remove a lot of bird nests and debris from chimneys across Des Moines, Ankeny, and Waukee. Animals often see chimneys as a safe place to build nests, especially if the chimney does not have a cap.
Our chimney blockage removal service clears nests, leaves, and other debris that block the chimney flue. A blocked chimney can stop smoke from venting properly and may cause smoke or gases to come back into the home.
After removing the blockage, we check the chimney to make sure airflow is restored and the fireplace can be used safely again.